Page 172 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ
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Religious Ceremonies and
Important Religious Days
The different denominations of Christianity in Thailand vary in their religious
practices according to their traditions and customs. In the Roman Catholic practice, there are
7 core ceremonies, called the ‘Sacraments.’ They are regarded as visible signs of inward and
spiritual divine grace. That is to say that God presides over one’s salvation from birth to death.
These ceremonies are:
1. Baptism, The rite of acceptance to become a faithful Christian by being immersed
in water. It is also called a ‘Christening’, which is a ritual ceremony performed on a baby, who is
ritually sprinkled with holy water on the forehead when baptized. The origin of this sacrament
comes from the belief that man is born with original sin, a tendency to sin, because human life
is imperfect. The original sin comes down from the first couple on earth, Adam and Eve, who
violated the rule of God. Thus, when Christians bring their newborn child for baptism, the
water symbolizes the washing away one’s original sin. The Godfather and Godmother participate
in the ceremony because they will be the persons responsible for raising the baby to become a
good and faithful Christian.
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